The Washington Commanders toppled the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks even without star quarterback Jayden Daniels. But this notable shock has given the signal-caller even more motivation to return sooner than expected.
Daniels missed Week 3 while recovering from a dislocated elbow, but he won't go to injured reserve, and surgery isn't needed yet. That makes it a week-to-week deal, and head coach Dan Quinn offered a glimmer of hope that the Arizona State product will feature in Washington's international game against the Indianapolis Colts.
In a conversation with Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, Quinn said Daniels would more than likely travel with the team to London. That doesn't guarantee his participation, but it means he isn't too far away.
Jayden Daniels is expected to make Commanders' trip to London for Week 4
And when he does get back, the Commanders will be a stronger team, having come together with the required resolve in his absence.
"Quinn told me Daniels will “more than likely” travel with the team to the United Kingdom when they leave on Tuesday night. He doesn’t know yet whether Daniels will play in six days. But that there’s even a chance tells you that the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year isn’t far off."
Obviously, it's a wait-and-see scenario. The Commanders won't throw Daniels out there before he's ready. However, there will always be some risk involved whenever it happens.
Daniels will be wearing a brace to provide some protection moving forward. That doesn't do anything to mask the pain, and his mobility would no doubt be affected. But if he feels like it's a gamble worth taking, then rejoining his teammates on the practice field as soon as this week isn't out of the question.
Whether that means Daniels is active at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is another matter.
Jayden Daniels wants to get back, but the Commanders have no need to rush
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network believes this week may come too soon for Daniels, but Week 5 against the New York Giants is firmly on the table. The Commanders got a good showing from veteran backup Marcus Mariota versus Seattle, and he is a capable understudy. But given the competitiveness of Washington's franchise player, don't count him out yet.
Even if Daniels doesn't make it this weekend, he's not far away.
At most, he's expected to miss three games. With the Commanders on a bye in Week 7, he'll have another rest period to heal. And now that Washington has momentum, it'll only spur him on.
Traveling to London doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. But it shows Daniels wants to at least test out the elbow to see how it feels in practice before both he and the Commanders decide on the next steps.
The Commanders and the medical staff will take things slowly. Daniels will be pushing; that's just his mindset. But if he needs a little extra time, Mariota proved against the Seahawks that he is more than capable of keeping things ticking over.
If Daniels travels, he'll be eager to feature. And that makes the upcoming week immensely interesting.
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